Senior Pastor — Year 12

Dr. Terrence L. Vandiver, Sr.

Thankful Missionary Baptist Church — Blythe, Georgia

“You don’t have to know the songs. You don’t have to know anyone. You just have to show up. We’ll handle the rest.”

About Pastor V

Dr. Terrence L. Vandiver, Sr. is a preacher, teacher, and shepherd who has led Thankful Missionary Baptist Church for twelve years — and counting. His messages are rooted in Scripture, grounded in real life, and delivered with a warmth that makes you feel like he’s talking directly to you. Whether it’s your first Sunday or your five-hundredth, you’ll leave with something to carry into the week.

A graduate of Fort Valley State University, Dr. Vandiver went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Erskine Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Dental College of Georgia. He brings that same precision and discipline to his pastoral calling — and a Maxwell Leadership-certified coach’s eye to everything he builds.

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Fort Valley State

B.S. Zoology

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Erskine Seminary

Master of Divinity

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Dental College of GA

Doctor of Dental Medicine

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Maxwell Leadership

Certified Speaker, Trainer & DISC Coach

The First Lady

Lady Maria Vandiver

First Lady — Thankful Missionary Baptist Church

Lady Maria Vandiver leads with quiet strength and fervent prayer. A graduate of Georgia Southern University in Sociology and Social Work, she carries a God-given calling to care for people — and it shows in everything she does.

She is a devoted mother, faithful servant, and the steady heartbeat behind the Vandiver family’s ministry. Those who know her will tell you: the warmth you feel at Thankful starts with her.

Their Family

Married 23 years. Parents of three adult children — Terrence Jr., Taryn, and Tierra. Now empty nesters, they pour into the Thankful family the same way they raised their own. That’s not a metaphor. That’s how they actually live.

Lady Maria Vandiver, First Lady of Thankful Missionary Baptist Church

Come As You Are

The best way to know Thankful is to experience it.

Twelve years. The same ground. The same community. The same faithfulness. Come hear for yourself what that looks like on a Sunday morning.

Plan Your First Visit Watch a Message First

Dr. Terrence L. Vandiver, Sr.

Lady Maria Vandiver

The best way to know Thankful is to experience it.

Request Pastor V to Speak